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1579
Year 1579 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events of 1579 * January 6 - The Union of Atrecht unites the southern Netherlands under the Duke of Parma, governor in the name of king Philip II of Spain. * January 23 - The Union of Utrecht unites the northern Netherlands in a confederation called the United Provinces. William I of Orange becomes Stadtholder, and the Duc d'Anjou, younger brother of Henry III of France is invited to become hereditary sovereign. * March - Capture of Maastricht by the Spanish under Parma. * June 17 - Sir Francis Drake, during his circumnavigation of the world, lands in what is now California, which he claims for Queen Elizabeth I. With an English claim here and in Newfoundland, it becomes the basis for English colonial charters which will claim all land from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from "sea to sea." Drake's claim is called "Nova Albion" (meaning, New England), and subsequent maps will show all lands north of New Spain and New Mexico under this name. Births *February 9 - Johannes Meursius, Dutch classical scholar and antiquary (died 1639) *April 12 - François de Bassompierre, French courtier (died 1646) *May 2 - Tokugawa Hidetada, Japanese shogun (died 1632) *July 2 - Janusz Radziwill, Polish nobleman (died 1620) * July 13 - Arthur Dee, English physician and alchemist (died 1651) * August 1 - Luís Vélez de Guevara, Spanish dramatist and novelist (died 1644) * August 18 - Charlotte Flandrina of Nassau, Roman Catholic nun (died 1640) *August 21 - Henri (died 1638) *August 23 - Thomas Dempster, Scottish scholar and historian (died 1625) *October 4 - Guido Bentivoglio, Italian cardinal (died 1644) *December - John Fletcher, English writer (died 1625) * December 9 - Martin de Porres, Peruvian monk and saint (died 1639) *''date unknown'' **Jacob Astley, royalist commander in the English Civil War (died 1652) **Frans Snyders, Flemish painter (died 1657) **Richard Whitbourne, English colonist (died 1628) : See also 1579 births. Deaths *February - Henry Balnaves, Scottish politician and religious reformer (born 1512) * February 20 - Nicholas Bacon, English politician (born 1509) *April 25 - John Stuart *May 6 - François de Montmorency, French nobleman (born 1530) * June 25 - Hatano Hideharu, Japanese samurai (born 1541) * June 30 - Mehmed Pasha Sokolovic, Turkish Janissary (born 1505) *August 3 - Katarzyna Ostrogska, Polish noblewoman (born 1560) * August 5 - Stanislaus Hosius, Polish cardinal (born 1504) *October 12 - Mehmed Sokollu, Grand Vizier of Suleyman the Magnificent and Selim II (born 1505) * November 15 - Francis David, Hungarian religious reformer (born 1510) * November 21 - Thomas Gresham, English merchant and financier (born 1519) * December 21 - Vicente Masip, Spanish painter (born 1506) *''date unknown'' **Giovanni Battista Adriani, Italian historian (born c1512) **Diego de Landa, Bishop of the Yucatán (born 1524) **Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, Spanish explorer (born 1509) **Hieronim Jarosz Sieniawski, Polish nobleman (born 1516) **Hans Staden, German adventurer (born 1525) **William Whittingham, English Biblical scholar and religious reformer (born 1524) : See also 1579 deaths.